There are a few more gaming capabilities, such as support for variable refresh rate (VRR) to lessen screen tearing, however these are only available with HDMI cable ports 2.0 inputs. Although it features a local dimming option and a VA panel that displays deep blacks, it is not very successful at enhancing the picture quality in dimly lit environments. Additionally, the accuracy of our unit is poor right out of the box, giving everything a reddish tint, but this can differ between units, so your results may vary.
TCL 5-Series Google TV (S546) review: Design
TCL’s mid-range TV designs aren’t going to win any design awards, but the straightforward black plastic design serves its purpose as a reliable housing for a good 4K TV. It may not have the most dazzling appearance or be the slimmest item in the TV aisle, but it serves its purpose. Any of the brackets on our list of the best TV mounts can be used to hang the chassis on the wall because the chassis has holes for a 200 mm by 300 mm VESA bracket. The 55-inch model we examined weighs 34.4 pounds and has dimensions of 48.3 x 28.1 x 3.0 inches. Even for a 55-inch screen, that’s light enough that you can probably set this up without help, but we still advise having a second pair of hands. The set also includes a two-position stand that allows you to choose between a 22.7 and 42.3 inch gap between the included feet. The straightforward, plastic boomerang-shaped feet lack any extra features, such as built-in cable routing. The major cosmetic improvement over the TCL 5-Series Roku TV (S535) from the previous year is a tiny, fabric-covered sensor bar that is positioned under the bottom bezel, directly beneath the TCL logo. The far-field microphones on this little grey bar enable Google TV’s hands-free voice controls via Google Assistant. Additionally, it contains a light that illuminates to indicate when voice input has been activated. There is a physical switch on the back of the cabinet, next to the power button, that you can use to turn the microphones off. It is a large switch with clear labels that make it satisfyingly obvious when it is turned on or off, eliminating any doubt regarding whether the room-listening mics are activated.
Display
Now, playing games on Stadia & PS5 or watching our favorite shows on TV almost always looks beautiful. Disney’s Encanto in Dolby Vision on the TCL 5-Series was an absolute thrill, especially for a mid-range panel you can sometimes pick up for less than $500. We are not typically one to be stunned by a television set, but viewing Disney’s Encanto on the TCL 5-Series was an absolute treat. However, we did notice that some display options didn’t seem to apply to Google TV or the non-media apps you need to use the platform. For instance, we discovered that adjusting settings like color saturation had no impact on how Android TV apps appeared but was immediately noticeable on an input. Yet again, this is probably a Google complaint rather than a TCL complaint.
TCL 5-Series Google TV (S546) review: Interface
There were numerous issues with the TCL 5-Series when it was originally tested. Google TV was added, but something wasn’t right because it was by far the slowest smart TV interface I had ever used. For those who might have missed it, TCL had to remove the televisions from the shelves due to the issue, which caused this review to be delayed by several months. To TCL’s credit, company acknowledged the problem and made the necessary corrections; a subsequent inspection of the television reveals that these problems have been fully repaired. The TCL 5-Series’ Google TV user interface currently functions as it should. We enjoy Google TV a lot since it offers an easy-to-use structure, lots of supported apps, and support for numerous user profiles. Although many people would say that advertisements predominate the home screen, they aren’t advertisements in the sense that we would consider to be obtrusive. The advertisements on Google TV are more like watch suggestions, and they hardly ever offer us content that we can’t access without paying more. As a Google product, you will undoubtedly see advertisements for content on Google platforms like YouTube, but they are not intrusive and are simple enough for us to ignore.
Connectivity
For cable-free network connectivity, the set is also equipped with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, however Bluetooth is curiously absent. The TCL 5-Series provides sufficient connectivity options for the majority of users, but those hoping to get HDMI 2.1 functionality will have to look elsewhere. That being said, the 5-Series offers a respectable selection of inputs unless you consider yourself a power user. also you will learn our article on TCL 5-Series Google TV (S546) review.
Ports
The TV’s ports are located six or seven inches in from the edge of the display, on the right side of the TV chassis. Three HDMI connections (one of which has ARC), one USB connector, and a coax connection for an antenna or cable are all located there. Along with a standard 3.5 millimeter jack for headphones or speakers, there is a composite AV port that needs the included adapter, a digital optical audio port for connecting older audio equipment, and several other ports.
Sound Quality
We don’t hold it against TCL for our experience here because very few contemporary flat screen televisions are winning many points in this category because there is simply not enough room in the chassis to support anything close to a respectable set of speakers. Simply put, it’s horrible. Similar to most televisions, the lower registers are almost entirely gone, which makes the audio seem thin and hollow. Because of this, listening to music can be a miserable experience. However, voices can also sound as though they are being diffused through a set of empty soup cans. Thanks to TCL’s support for eARC, a good sound system can be quickly and easily attached to the 5-Series, bringing high-quality audio to the party and complementing the aforementioned very good panel nicely. We do not advise using this television without a dedicated audio device of some kind, even if it is just a straightforward sound bar, as seems to always be the case.
TCL 5-Series Google TV (S546) review: Performance
We were impressed by the color quality in the 4K trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home, which highlighted the reds and blues in Spider-Man and Dr. Strange’s costumes (even if they were a little oversaturated) and the flaring gold of Strange’s magic as he cast a spell. Local dimming on the TV increased the brightness of the mystical, shimmering images while largely keeping the dark shadows that around the characters. It demonstrates the HDR support of the TV beautifully. It’s also one of the few smart TVs on the market that supports HDR10 Plus and Dolby Vision. While we did notice some crushed blacks in some scenes, 4K nature video clips displayed vivid blue skies, colorful plants, and animals without any of the banding that occasionally appears on lower-quality displays. The bars above and below the image in a letterboxed movie clip, however, appeared suitably black rather than the glowing grey that occasionally affects LCD TVs. Only when we employed test screens intended to draw attention to potential faults did we discover more severe difficulties with the image. When viewed from angles greater than 45 degrees, a pink test screen faded out to white. The effect also crept in around the edges of the screen when we were seated too close to the QLED panel, even when we were centered in front of it. Moving vertically didn’t improve the situation because of those viewing angles. Although it was much less noticeable while watching actual content, the viewing angles are definitely not ideal. The TV supports 4K at 60Hz for games and content (as well as 24Hz and 50Hz for movies and other content), but not the higher 120Hz. This is evident when we turn on our Xbox Series X. However, it does support auto low latency mode and variable refresh rates (VRR) between 48 and 60Hz, seamlessly switching to game mode after detecting the connected console had turned on. An Assassin’s Creed Valhalla play test had crystal-clear 4K resolution, fluid motion, and finely detailed textures.
Picture Quality
We truly adore the visual quality of this set. TCL has been producing excellent televisions for the past few years, largely due to advancements in panel technology. While blacks are not nearly as inky as those found in an OLED, they are still fairly dark, which provides great contrast with whatever is currently being displayed. Color quality is really good. The display is also extremely sharp and clear, which gives HDR content truly stunning visuals. For the most part, consumers don’t spend much time calibrating the picture, so we had to make very few adjustments to the 5-Series’ settings to get it to a point where we thought it looked really good. It’s basically ready to use right out of the box. This television isn’t particularly bright, but it also can’t be considered dark. While you won’t be able to block out really harsh glare or direct sunshine, it works just fine in a room with good lighting. It is unquestionably sufficient for the majority of spaces. The panel is rather susceptible to reflections, although this is typical of televisions. Full array local dimming is a feature of the 5-Series, which is probably why the blacks look so good, but it has some drawbacks as well. Around bright objects with dark backgrounds, there is some halo. The majority of people probably won’t notice it because it’s not at all bad. In our opinion, letterboxed content with captions that show up in the black spaces is the only scenario in which this might be a problem. Besides that, we didn’t see any significant effects of the halo when watching the majority of other stuff. The panel’s extremely limited viewing angle is its only drawback. The 5-Series appears stunning when viewed directly. However, when viewed from even a tiny oblique angle, colors begin to fade and the deep blacks we just praised became a grayish-white tint.
Price
There are four different sizes of the TCL 5-Series Google TV, with sizes ranging from 50 inches to 75 inches. The prices are roughly comparable to TCL’s Roku-based 5-Series TVs, though the comparison is a little tricky because it takes into account both retailer discounts on the new Google TV set and rising prices for the 2020 Roku model. The price difference is currently only about $20, as of the time of this writing. also you read our article on TCL 5-Series Google TV (S546) review.
Conclusion
The majority of uses benefit from the TCL 5 Series TV. It is excellent for gaming because it supports VRR and provides responsive gaming with a quick response time and reduced input lag. It displays deep blacks and has a full-array local dimming feature, which makes it excellent for watching movies in SDR or HDR, but the local dimming isn’t particularly noteworthy. Due to how bright it gets and how well it handles reflections, it is suitable for watching sports and is passable for TV shows. However, it doesn’t properly upscale 480p content from DVDs and has limited viewing angles.
